On the Nature of Man 5–6
Greek text: Matthaei.English: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), public domain (CC0).
Chapter 5
5Matthaei, 150-171
Ἔστι δὲ στοιχεῖον τὸ κοσμικὸν, ἔστι μέρος ἐλάχιστον τοῦ συγστοιχεῖν ὁμογενές ἐστι τοῖς ὧν ἐστι στοιχρῖον. ἡ μὲν “γὰρ ἀρχὴ οὐχ, ὁμογενὲς τοῖς ἐξ αὐτῆς" τὸ δὲ στοιχεῖον πάντως ὁμσγενές. ἀλλ᾽, ὅτι μὲν γὴ καὶ ἐ ὕδωρ,. «ήρ τὸ καὶ πὺρ ἐστι τὰ στοιχεῖα, δῆλον. καὶ γὰρ ἐν τούτοις ἄκραι αἱ ποιότητες δυνάμει καὶ ἐνεργείᾳ Φαίνονται " οὐ μὴν τῶν αἰσθητῶν τί τούτων στοιχείων ἄκρατον καὶ ἀνεπίμικτόν ἐστιν ἑτέρου στοιχείου" νενόθευται γὰρ ἡρόμα πως ἅπαντα ταῦτα, καὶ μετείλυχῷεν ἀλλήλων μᾶλλον καὶ ἧττον" ἀλλοὶ καὶ ἐν τὴ ἐς μίξει καταδηλός ἐστιν ἡὶ Φύσις αὐτῶν. ἕκαστον δὲ τῶν στοιχείων κατὰ συζυγίαν δύο ποιότητας ἔχει τὰς εἰδοποιούσας αὐτό. ἔστι γορ ἢ μὲν ] ξηρὰ καὶ ψυχρά" τὸ δὲ ὕδωρ, ψυχρὸν καὶ ὑγρόν" ὁ δὲ ἀὴρ. ὑγρὸς καὶ θερμὸς κατὰ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ζύσιν᾽ τὸ δὲ πῦρ. θερμὸν καὶ ξηρόν. οὐ μὴν αἱ ποιότητες καθ' ἑαυτὰς ναι δύνανται στοιχεῖα. οὐ γοὶρ ἐκ ποιοτήτων ἀσωμώτων οἷόν τὸ συστῆναι σώματα, ἀλλ᾽ οὐδὲ σάλλα σώματα, μὴ ἄκραν ἔχοντα καὶ κατ᾽ ἐνέργειαν τὴν στοιχεῖα, πάντων σῶν ὄντων τὴν κατὰ τὸ μᾶλλον καὶ ἧττον ποιότητα κεκτημένων, καὶ οὐ δυνχωμένων ἀμωιριθῆναι “τοῖα “ποίων ἐστὶ στοιχοῖκ. ἀνάγκη τοίων εἶναι τὸ στοιχεῖον καὶ σῶ-, μα, καὶ ἁπλοῦν σῶμα, καὶ κατ᾽ ἐνέργειαν ἔχιν ἄκρας τὰς ποιό- | σητας, λόγω δὲν θεραότητα, ψυχρότητα, ὑγρότητα καὶ ξερόταὐτὰ. αὗται γὰρ μέναι σῶν ποιοτήτων ὅλην δ᾽ ὅλου μσταθαλ-. λουσι τὴν οὐσίαν᾽ τῶν δὲ ἄλλων ποιοτήτων οὐδὲ μία τοῦτο δρῷ. οὔτε γὰρ τὸ λευκὸν, πλησιάζον σώματι λευκαίνει αὐτὸ διόλου, ὦ εἷς τὸ θερμὸν θέρμαδνει καὶ τὸ » ψυχρὸν ψύχει,οὗτε δὲ τῶν ἀν λων οὐδέν. ἐναντία δὲ ἀλλύλοις ἐστὶ τὰ στοιχεῖα, τὰ κατὰ τὰς ὄυο ποιότητας ἐναντίαν ὡς τὸ ὕδωρ τῷ πυρὶ» ψυχρὸν ὃ ὃν καὶ ὑγρὸν, θεραῷ ὄντι καὶ ξηρῷ" καὶ ἡ γὴ τῷ ἀέρι. ψυχρὰ οὖσα καὶ ξηρὰ, τῶ θερμῷ καὶ ὑγρῷ. ἐπειδὴ δὲ τὰ ἐναντία συνάπτεσθαι κλλήλεις οὐ γόύνατον μὴ ἐεέσου τινὸς δεσμοῦ τεταγμένου, τοῦ ὐνδέοντος αὐτὰ ἔταξεν ὁ δημιουργὸς ἐν μέσῳ μὲν τῆς γῆς καὶ τοῦ ἀέρος» ἐναντίων ὄντων; τὸ ὕδωρ, δοὺς αὐτῷ. δύο ποιοτητας» ψυχρότητα καὶ ὑγρότητα, καθ' ἃς ἠδύνατο τοῖς ἄκροις συνατπττόμενον συνδεῖν αὐτά. τῷ μὲν γρ ψυχρῷ. συνοικειοῦται τῇ. ὙΠ τῷ δὲ ὑγρῷ συνάπτεται τῷ φἰόρις “πάλιν μέσον: τοῦ ὕδατος καὶ τοῦ πρρὸς, ἐναντίων ὄντων. καὶ αὐτῶν, ἔταξε τὸν ἀέραν τῇ μὲν ὑγρῷ ποιότητι οἰκειούμενον πῷ ὑδατι, τῇ δὲ θέρμη τῷ πυρί". καὶ οὕτω τὰ ἐναντία συνῆψεν ἀλλήλοις δεὶ μέσων τονῶν,, τῶν συνδεόντων καὶ ῥαυτὰ καὶ σὰ ὶ συνδούμενα,᾿ ὁ γὰρ τοιοῦτος δεσμὸς ὦ ὥριστος ἐστιν ἕκαστον οὖν αὐτῶν. κατὰ μὲν τὴν ἑτέραν ποιότητα συνῆψε τῷ πρὸ αὐτοῦ, κατὰ δὲ τὴν ἑτέραν, τῷ μετ᾽ αὐτό" οἷον' τὸ ὕδωρ Ψυχρόν ἐστι καὶ ὑγρόν" ἀλλὰ κατιὰ μὲν τὸ ψυχρὸν τὴ γῇ συνάπτεται, οὕση πρὸ αὐτοῦ κατὰ τὴν ἄνοδον" κατὰ δὲ τὸ ὑγρὸν, τῷ ἀέρι, ὄντι μετ᾽ αὐτό. ὁμοίως καὶ ὁ ἀρ κατὰ μὲν τὸ ὑγρὸν συνἅπτεται τῷ ὕδατι, πρὸ αὐτοῦ ὄντι" κατὰ δὲ τὸ θερμὸν, τῷ πυρὶ, ὄντι μετ᾽ αὗτον. καὶ τὸ πῦρ δὲ κατὰ μὲν πὴν θερμότητα συνάπτεται τῷ ἀέρι, πρὸ αὐτοῦ ὄντι" ματὰ δὲ τὴν ξηρότητα τῇ ΚΑΙ κατ᾽ ἐπίκλασιν καὶ ἐπιστροφὴν τὴν πρὸς τὸ ἀκρον᾽ οὕτω δὲ καὶ καὶ γὴ κατὰ μὲν τὸ ψυχρὸν τῷ ὑδατι" κατὰ δὲ τὸ ξηρὸν τῷ πυρὶ κατ᾽ ἐπῤίλασιν. ἵνα δι γὰρ μὴ μόνον τὴν πρὸς τὸ ἄνω καὶ τὸ κάτω κάθοδον τε καὶ ἄνοδον τὴν σχέσιν ἔχῃ τὰ στοιχεῖς, αλλὰ καὶ τὴν κατὰ κπύηλον, ἐπέκαμψέ πῶς καὶ ἐπέστρεψε τὰ ἄκρα πρὸς ἀλληλα" λέγω δὲ, τὸ πὺρ καὶ τὴν γῆν" καὶ γὰρ τὸ πῦρ ἀποβαλὸν τὴν θερμότητα μόνην, γίνεται Ὑ7᾽ τοῦτο δὲ δῆλον ἐκ τῶν κεραυνῶν᾽ καταφερόμενον γὰρ τὸ πῦρ καὶ ψυχόμένον ἐκ τῆς ὑπεροπτήσεως ἀπολιθοῦται. διὸ πᾶς κεραυνὸς μετὰ λύθου καὶ θείου Φέρεται" ἔστι δὲ τὸ θεῖονν ὥςπερ πὺρ ὠπεψυγμένον, οὐκ ἔτι θερμὸν κατ᾽ ἐνέργειαν, ἀλλὰ δυνάμει, ξηρὰν δὲν, καὶ ἐνεργοίοι. μόνα δὲ τὰ στοιχεῖα κατ' ἐνέργειαν ἔχει τος ποιότητας" τὰ δὲ ἀλλα πάντα» δυνά- Μμειν ἐὰν μὴ πλησιάσῃ στοιχείῳ. ἵνα δὲ μηδέποτε ἐπιὺ εἴπη μήτε τὰ στοιχεῖχ, μήτε τὰ ἐξ αὐτῶν συγιρίματαιν σοφῶς ὁ δημιουργὸς ἐτεχνάσατο, ὥττε τὰ στοιχεῖα καὶ εἰς ἄλληλα μεταβάλλεσθαι, καὶ εἰς τὰ συγκρίματα, καὶ πάλιν τὰ συγκρίματα εἰς τὰ στοιχεῖχ ἀναλύεσθαι. καὶ οὕτως ἐξ ἀλληλογονίας διαρκοὺς συνιστάμενα σώζεται διαπαντός. γῆ μὲν γὰρ πηωθεῖσα γίνεται ὕδωρ ὕδωρ δὺ πυκνωθθὲν καὶ πηλωθὲν γίνεται γ᾽ θερμανθὲν δὲ καὶ ἐξατμισθὲν γίνεται ἀήρ᾽ ἀρ δὲ συναχιθεὶς μὲν καὶ πυκνωθεὶς γίνεται ὑδωρ" ξηρανθεὶς δὲ, εἰς πῦρ μεταβάλλεται" οὕτω «δὲ καὶ τὸ πῦρ, σβεσθὲν μὲν καὶ ἀποβαλὲν τὴν ξηρότητα, ἐξαεροῦται. ἔστε γαρ αὐρι, σβέσις πυρὸς καὶ ἀτμὶς ὕδατος ᾿"θερμανθέντος. ἐξ ομψφοτέρων οὖν δῆλον, ὡς ἐκ θέρμίστητος ἡ ἡ γένεσις αὐτῷ" καὶ γοὶρ θερμανθὸν τὸ ὕδωρ, καὶ σβεσθὲν τὸ πῦρν οὴρ γένεται. ἔστιν οὖν κατὰ μὲν τὴν οἰκείαν Φύσιν θερμός" ψύχεται δὲ τῇ γειτνιάφει τῇ πρὸς τὸ ὕδωρ» καὶ τὴν γῆν" ὡς τὰ μὲν κάτω μέρη αὐτοῦ» τὰ πρὸς τὴ γἣν ψυχρὰ εἶναι" τὰ δὲ ἄνω. καὶ πρὸς τῷ πυρὶ, θερμώ. συμβαίνει δὲ τοῦτο διὼ τὸ μαλακὸν καὶ εὐπαθὲς τοῦ ἀέρος" τῶχέως γὰρ ἐξίσταται τὴς οἰκείας Φύσεως καὶ μεταβάλλεται. ᾿Αριστοτές λης δὲ δυο γένη εἶναι τοῦ ἀέρος ζησί" τὸ μὲν ἀτμῶδες, τὸ ἐκ τῆς ἀναθυμιάσεως τοῦ ὑδατος" τὸ δὲ καπνῶδες, τὸ ἐκ τῆς σβέσεως τοῦ πυρός" καὶ τὸ μὲν καπνῶδες, θερμὸν εἶναι" πὸ δὲ ἀτμῶδες, ἔνθα μὲν τόκτεται, θερμὲν καὶ αὐτὸ, προϊὸν δὲ κατὰ μέρος ψύχεσθαι, καὶ πρόκοπτον ἐξυδατοῦσθαι. να δὲ καὶ ἀλλα τινὰ δοκοῦντα εἶναι ἀτοπα ἐκδια- Φύγη. καὶ πρὸς τούτοις, τὸ τοὶ ὑψηλότερα καὶ πολὺ τὸς ηἧς ἀφεστῶτα Ψυχρύτερα Φαίνεσθαι, διττὴν ὑπέθετο τὴν ᾧυσιν αὐτοῦ. πάντα δὲ τὰ σώματα τὴν γένεσιν ἐκ τὴς συνόδου τῶν τεσσάρων τούτων στοιχείων ἔχει, τά τὸ τῶν φυτῶν καὶ ταατῶν ζώων" τῆς Φύσεως τὰ καθαρώτατα τῶν στοιχείων εἰς τὴν γένεσιν τούτων τῶν σωμάτων ἑλκούσης. καλεῖ δὲ ταῦτα τὰ σώματα Αριστοτόλης Φυσικώ" οὐ κατὰ, ο σωρείαν συντιθεμένων αὐτῶν, αλλ᾽ ὅλων δέ ὅλου εἰς ἕνωσιν ἀνακιρναμένων, καὶ ἕν τι καὶ ἀλλὸ παρ᾽ αὐτὰ ποιούντων τὸ σῶμα" οὕτω γὰρ ἥνωται, ὡς μὴ οἷόν τὰ εἶναι διακρίναι αὐτά" μηδὲ ἰδίᾳ μὲν θεάσασθαι τὴν γ»ν» ἰδία δὲ τὸ ὕδωρ καὶ τὸν ἀέρα καὶ τὸ πῦρ, τῷ ἐν τι καὶ ἄλλο παρὰ ταῦτα ἐκ τῆς συνόδου τῶν τεσσάρων γεγενῆσθαι, ὡς ἐπὶ τὸς τες αρμάπου.. καὶ γὰρ ἐκεῖ ἀλλο ἡ τετραφάρμακος παρὰ τὸ ἐξ ὧν σύγκειται, οὐχ, ὁμοίως μέντοι. οὐ γὰρ κατὰ παράθεσιν. τὴν τῶν λεπτομερεστώτων, ὡς ἐν τὴ τετραφαρο μάκῳ, τὰ στοιχεῖχ ποιεῖ τὰ σώματα αλλὰ κατὰ μεταβολὴν καὶ ἑνότητα. πάλιν δὲ εἰς τὰ στοιχεῖα ἀναλύεται τὰ σώματα: φθειρόμενα " καὶ τούτῳ τῷ τῷ τρόπῳ διαμένει δονεκῶς τὸ πάντα, καὶ διαρκεῖ πρὸς τ» τῶν ὄντων γένεσιν; μήτε ᾿πλεονάζοντα ποτὲ, μήτε, μειούμενα" ὅθεν καὶ τὴν ἄλλου γένεσιν, ἄλλου φθοραν. εἶναί ᾧησι, καὶ τὴν ἄλλου φθοραν, ἄλλου γένεσιν, ς οὐ μόνον κατὸ τὴν ψυχὴν. ὡς προείρηται» αλλὰ καὶ κατὰ τὸ σῶωα. Πλάτωνι δὲ δοκεῖν τὰ μὲν τρία στοιχεῖα μεταβάλλειν. εἰς ἀλληλαν τὴν δὲ ΥΝ ἀμετάβλητον μένειν. ἀπεικάζων γὰρ ἑκάστῳ στοιχείῳ τὰ στερεώματα τῶν εὐθυγράμμων σχημάτων" τῇ. μὲν γἣν τὸ κυβικὸν σχῆμα" ἐπειδὴ ἀκινητότατον τῶν λοητῶν ἐστιν" ὑδατι δὲ, τῶν λοιπῶν τὸ δυςκινητότατον τὸ εἰκοσάεδρον" τὸ δὲ εὐκινητότατον, τὸ πυραμοειδὲς, τῷ πυρί" τὸ δὲ ὀκτάεδρον, τῷ ἀέρμ' ἧπερ ἐστὶν εὐκινητότερον, μὲν ὕδατος» δυςκινητότερον δὲ πυρές" ἐκ τούτων τῶν σχῃημάτων ποιεῖται τὴν ἀπόδειξιν τοῦ τὼ μὲν τρία εἰς ἀλληλα μεταβαλλειν" τὴν δὲ γῆν τοῦτο μὴ πάσχειν. τὼ μὲν γὰρ τρία, τήν τε πυραμίδα καὶ τὸ ὀκτάεδρον καὶ τὸ εἰκοσάεδρον ἐκ σκαληνῶν τριγώνων συνίστασθαι" τὸν δὲ κύβον, ἐξ ἰσοπλεύρων τριγώνων. ὅσα τοίνυν ἐκ. τῶν σκαληνῶν συνέστη τριγώνων, ταῦτα δύνασθαι διαλυόμενα, καὶ πάλιν συνιόντα εἰς ἄλληλα μεταβάλλειν" μήτε δὲ τὸν κύβον διαλυθέντα εἴς τι τῶν ἄλλων, τριῶν σχημάτων δύνασθαι μεταβάλλειν. ἐξ ἰροπλεύρων, γὰρ τριγώνων συνέστηκεν, ἐξ ὧν οὐδὲν ᾿ τῶν, ἄλλων τριῶν συστῆναι δύναται" μήτ᾽ αὖ τι τῶν τριῶν σχημώτων εἰς κύβον. ἀνάγκη οὖν, καὶ τὰ εἰδοποιηθέντα σώματα κατὰ τὰ εἴδη ταῦτα οὕτως ἔχειν πρὸς ἄλληλα, ὡς ἐκεῖνα εἶχεν. οὐ μὴν ἀπαθὶς ἔσνεινεν ἡ 5, αλλιξ διαιρεῖται ὑπὸ τῶν λεπτομερεστέρων σωμάτων αναστογχειουμένη μὲν, οὐ μὲν ν᾿ Αἱ καὶ μεταβαλλομένη, εἰς τὰ διαιροῦντα αὐτήν. πάλιν γαρ συνιοῦσα εἰς ἑαυτὴν ἀποκαθίσταται, ὅπερ Φαίνεται ἐν τῷ ΓΙ ὑδχτι. ἐὰν γὰρ εἰς ὕδωρ γὴν ὀλίγην βαλων ταράξης, δια-. “ ω λύεται εἰς ὕδωρ καὶ γ᾽ ἐὰν δὲ παύση ταράττων, στάσιν ὁ ἀὴρ αὐτὴν, διαλύσῃ, ἢ ἢ ἐν ὕδατι, ὁ ὅταν ὑφ᾽ ὕδατος λυθῆ, λέγει δὲ κατ᾽ ἄλλον τρόπον διαιρῶν, ἕ ἕκαστον τῶν στοιχείων πρεῖς ποιότητας ἔχειν" τὸ μὲν πῦρ. ὀξύτητα, μανότχτα, κύησιν" τὸ δὲ ἕτερον ἄκρον τῶν στοιχείων», τουτέστι τὴν “ γδν. τὰς ἐναντίας ταῦταις ποιότητας» ἀμβλύτητα, πυπνά.-.,. τ τητὰ, στάσιν" ὡς εἶναι κωτὰ ταύτας τὰς ποιότητας ἐναντία ΨΦ τὸ πὺρ καὶ τὸν γῆν, ὅπερ οὐκ ἦν κατὰ τὰς ἀλλὰς τὰς ἐν συώ,γίω ποιότητας" εἰλῆφθαι δὲ ἀφ᾽ ἑκατέρων τῶν ἄκρων ται ὁ ἀδρ εἰδοποιοὺς ἔχων τρεῖς μόνας ποιότητας, ἀμβλύτητὰ, μανότητα, κίνησιν. πάλιν δύο λαμβάνονται ποιότητες τῆς γῆς». ἀμβλύτης καὶ πυκνότης" τοῦ δὲ πυρὸς, μίχ μόνη ἡ κίνησις" καὶ γίνεται τὸ ὕδωρ εἰδοττοιούμενον καὶ αὐτὸ ἀμβλύτητι, πυκνότητι, κινήσει" ἔστιν οὖν ὡς ὀξύτης πρὸς ἀμβλύτητα, οὕτω πῦρ πρὸς ἀέρα" ὡς δὲ μανότης πρὸς πυκνότητα, οὕτως ἀδ πρὸς ὕδωρ' ὡς δὲ κίνησις πρὸς στάσιν» οὕτως ὕδωρ πρὸς γῆν. ὡς ἄρα πῦρ πρὸς ἀέρα, οὕτως ἀὴρ πρὸς ὑδωρ᾽ καὶ ὡς ἀὴρ πρὸς ὕδωρ, οὕτως ὕδωρ πρὸς γῆν. πέφυκε γὰρ τὰ μὲν ἐπίπεδα ὑπὸ μιᾶς μεσότητος συνἔχεσθαι, τουτέστιν, ἀναλογίας" τὰ δὲ στερεὰ, ὑπὸ δυο μεσοτήτων. κατ᾽ ἄλλον δὲ τρόπον λέγουσι ποιότητας ἔχειν τὰ στοιχεῖχλ" τὴν μὲν γὰρ γὴν καὶ τὸ ὕδωρ, βαρύτητα ἔχειν, καθ' ἣν κάτω Φύσει ᾧΦέρονται᾽" τὸν δὲ ἀέρα καὶ τὸ πῦρ, κουφότητα, καθ' ἣν ἄνω Φύσει Φέρονται. λέγουσι δὲ οἱ στωϊκοὶ, τῶν στοιχείων τὰ μὲν εἶναι δραστικὰ, τὰ δὲ παθητικά" δραστικὰ μὲν, ἀέρα καὶ πῦρ᾽ παθητικὰ δὲ, γὴν καὶ ὕδωρ, ᾿Αριστοτέλης δὲ καὶ πέμπτον εἰςώγει σῶμα, τὸ αἰθέριον καὶ κυκλοφορικὸν, μὴ βουλόμενος τὸν οὐρανὸν ἐκ τῶν τεσσάρων στοιχείων γεγενῆσθαι" κυκλοζφορικὸν δὲ λέγει τὰ πέμπτον σῶμα, ὅτι ἐν κύκλῳ περὶ τὴν γὴν Φερεται" τοῦ Πλάτωνος διαρρύδην φάσκοντος, ἐκ πυρὸς καὶ γῆς αὐτὸν συνεστάναι. λέγει δὲ οὕτως" υσωματοειδὲς καὶ "ὁρατὸν, ἁπτόν τε δεῖ τὸ γενόμενον εἶναι, χωρὶς δὲ πυρὸς ο»δυδὲν ὧν ποτθ ὁρατὸν. γένοιτο. οὐδὲ ὡπτὸν ἄνευ τινὸς στος ρεοῦ" στερεὸν δὲν οὐκ. ἄνευ γῆς" ὅθεν ἐκ πυρὸς καὶ γῆς »»τὸ τοῦ; παντὸς συνεστάναι σῶμα ὁ Θεὸς ἀρχόμενος ἐποίει, »»θύο δὲ μόνα καλῶς συνίστασθαι τρίτου χωρὶς, οὐ δυνατόν" ᾿ πευμὸν γὰρ ἐν μέσῳ -δεῖ ἀμῷοϊν συναγωγὸν γίνεσθαι" »θεσμῶν δὲ κάλλιστος, ὃς ἂν ἑαυτόν τε καὶ τὰ ξυνδούμενα »ἷν ποὴὲ ὅτι μάλιστα" τοῦτο δὲ πέφυκεν ἀναλογία καλλιστα ἀποτελεῖν" δεσμὸν λέγων, τὰ μέσα δύο στοιχεῖα ἐξ ἀναλογίας εἰλημμένα τῆς προῤῥηθείσης. οἱ δὲ τὸ τῶν Ἑβραίων πρεσβεύοντες διαφέρονται περὶ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καὶ τὴς Ὑ2. οἱ μὲν γὰρ ἄλλοι σχεδὸν πάντες. ἐξ οὐδεμιᾶς προὺποκειμένης ὕλης Φάσκουσι γεγενήσθαι τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν» ἐπειδὴ. Μωύσης ᾧησιν" ἐν ἀρχὴ ἐποίησεν ὁ θεὸς τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ σὴν γὴν" ᾿Απολινάριος δὲ ἐκ τῆς ἀβύσσου πεποιηκέναι τὸν Θεὸν τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γὴν βούλεται" τῆς γὰρ ἀβύσσου Μωὺῦσὴῆς οὐκ ἐμνημόνευσεν ἐν τῇ γενέσει τοῦ κόσμου, ὡς γενομένης ἐν δὲ τῷ Ἰωβ εἰρηται" ὁ ποιήσας τὴν ἀβυσσον" ἐκ ταύτης. οὖν,. ὡς ἐξ ὕλης, βούλεται τὰ ἀλλα πάντα γενῆσθαι" οὐ μὴν ὠγένητον » οἰλλιὶ γενητὴν αὐτὴν εἶναι, πρὸ πάντων τῶν σωματικῶν προκαταβειβλημένην ὑπὸ τοῦ δγμμν ουργοῦ πρὸς τὴν τῶν ἄλλων ὑπόστασιν". δηλοῖ δὲ καὶ τοῦνομα τὴς ἀἰθύ βύσσου τὸ τῆς ὕλης ἄπειρον. ἀλλὰ τοῦτο μὲν, ὅπως ἃ ἂν ἔχον οὐδὲν διχφέρει. ναὶ οὕτω γάρ, πάντων: δ θεὸς θεὸς καὶ δημιουργὸς δεύννυται, καὶ ἐξ οὐκ ὄντων πε- γᾷ “ποιηκὼς τὰ πάντα. πρὸς δὲ τοὺς ἐν μένον. λέγοντας εἶναι «τοιχεῖον, ἢ τὸ οἰ ἢ τὸν ἀέρανγ ἡ τὸ ὕδωρ, ὠρκέσει τὰ … »πότε ἄν ἤλγεεν" οὐδὲ ἋΣ ἂν ἦν, ὑφ᾽ οὗ ἀλγήσειεν», ἕν ρῶν" εἰ δὲ καὶ ἤλγεεν, ἕν ὧν ἣν τὸ ἰώμενον. δεῖ γὰρ τὸ »μέλλον ἀλγεῖν» ἐν μεταβολὴ γενέσθαι μετ᾽ αἰσθήσεως " »εἶ δὲ ἕν μόνον Ἦν τὸ στοιχεῖον, οὐκ ἣν, εἰς ὃ »»θείη" μὴ τρεπόμενον δὲ, ἀλλὰ μένον ἐφ᾽ ἑαυτοῦ, οὐκ ἂν νἤλγησενν εἰ καὶ αἰσθητὸν ἣν" ᾿ ἀνάγκη δὲ καὶ τὸ πάσχον »οὗπό τριὸς πάσχειν" εἰ δὲ μόνον ἃ ἕν ἣν τὸ στοιχεῖον, οὐκ »ἦν ἄν ἑτέρα ποιότης παρὰ τὴν τοῦ ἑνὸς στογχείου, ὑφ᾽ »ἧἦς ἔπαθεν ἂν τὸ ζῶον" εἰ δὲ μήτε μεταβληθῆναι, μὐτα υ ταθεῖν ἠδύνατο, πῶς ἂν ἤληησε;" δείξας οὖν τοῦτο ἀδύνατον, κατὰ συγχώρησιν ἐπάγει" εἰ δὲ καὶ ἤλγεεν» ἕν ὧν Ἶν τὸ ἰώμενον" γὺν δὲ οὐκ ἔστιν ἕν τὸ ἰώμενον, ᾿ἀλλι πολλά" οὐκ ἄρα ἕν ἦν ὁ ἄνθρωπος. ἀλλὰ καὶ» ἐξ ὧν αὐτοὶ πεῖς ρῶνται τὸ ἴδιον ἕκαστος κατασκευάζειν δόγμα, ἐκ τούτων μάλιστα δείενυται τέσσαρα ὄντα τὰ στοιχεῖχ. καὶ γὲρ Θαλῆς τὸ ὕδωρ βόνεν λύγων εἶναι στοιχεῖον, πειρᾶται δειινύειν τάλλα τρία ὑπὸ τούτου γινόμενα. τὴν μὲν γον ὑποστάθμην αὐτοῦ γὴν γίνεσθαι" τὸ δὲ λεπτομερέστερον ἀέρα" τοῦ δὲ ἀέρος τὸ λεπτομερέστερον πῦρ. ᾿Αναξιμένης δὲ εἰέρα μόνον λέγων» καὶ αὐτὸς ὁμοίως πειρᾶται δεικνύναι, τὰ ἄλλα στοιχεῖα ἐκ τοῦ ἀέρος ἀποτελούμενα" Ἡράκλειτος δὲ καὶ Ἵππασος, ὁ μευτατοντίμοτῳ τὸ τὸ λέγοντες, ταῖς᾽ αὐταῖς σπανταις εἰποδείξεσι κέχρηνται. ἐξ ὧν τοίνυν καὶ ὀὗται φασὶ, τὸ πῦρ εἶνχι τῶν ἄλλων στοιχείων γεννητικὸν, καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ὁ μὲν, τὸ δ ὕδωρ, ὁ δὲν τὸν αἴφρας ἐκ τούτων δείπουτοίε, ὅτι πάγτα τὰ στοιχεῖα εἰς ἄλληλα μεταβάλλεται" πάντων δὲ εἰς ἄλληλα τρεπομένων» ἀνάγκη, τὰ πᾶντα στοι εἴα εἶναι. ὅπερ γὰρ ἂν λάβης τῶν τεσσάρων, εὐρεθήν σεται καὶ τοῦτο ὑφ᾽ ἑτέρου γινόμενον. τὸ δὲ σῶμα τῆς ψυ- «ῆς ὄργανον ὑπάρχον, ταῖς ψυχικαῖς δυνάμεσι συνδιαιρεῖται. ταύταις γὰρ πρός σρόν τε καὶ ἐπιτήδειον κατεσκεύασται, πρὸς τὸ «μηδεμίαν. ἀπὰς δύναμιν ὑπὸ τοῦ σώματος ἐμποθιζεσθαι. ἑκάστη γὰρ Ψψυχριῆ δυσίμει πρὲς τὴν ἐνέργειαν ἴδια μέρη τοὺ σώματος ἀποκεκλέρωται, ὡς προϊων ὁ λόγος ἀποδείξει. ἡ μὲν γὰρ ψυχὴ τάξιν ἐπέχει τεχνίτου". τὸ δὲ σῶμα ὀργάνου" ὕλη δέ ἐστι, περὶ ἃ ἡ πρᾶξις" τὸ δὲ ἀποπέλεσμα, καὶ πρᾶξις αὐτή, (οἷον, ὡς ὑλὴ μὲν ὑπόκειται ἡ γυνή" περὶ ταύταν γαρ ἡ πρῶξις" ἡ δὲ πρᾶξις, μοιχεία δ σορνεία.. κ᾽ γάμος.) διχιροῦνται δὲ αἱ ψυχικαὶ δυνάμεις εἷς τε τὸ (ανταστικὸν καὶ διανοητικὸν καὶ μνημονευτικόν. “"
Esti de stoicheion to kosmikon, esti meros elachiston tou sygstoichein homogenes esti tois hōn esti stoichrion. hē men “gar archē ouch, homogenes tois ex autēs" to de stoicheion pantōs homsgenes. all᾽, hoti men gē kai e hydōr,. «ēr to kai pyr esti ta stoicheia, dēlon. kai gar en toutois akrai hai poiotētes dynamei kai energeią Phainontai " ou mēn tōn aisthētōn ti toutōn stoicheiōn akraton kai anepimikton estin heterou stoicheiou" nenotheutai gar hēroma pōs hapanta tauta, kai meteilychǭen allēlōn mallon kai hētton" alloi kai en tē es mixei katadēlos estin hēi Physis autōn. hekaston de tōn stoicheiōn kata syzygian dyo poiotētas echei tas eidopoiousas auto. esti gor ē men ] xēra kai psychra" to de hydōr, psychron kai hygron" ho de aēr. hygros kai thermos kata tēn heautou zysin᾽ to de pyr. thermon kai xēron. ou mēn hai poiotētes kath' heautas nai dynantai stoicheia. ou goir ek poiotētōn asōmōtōn hoion to systēnai sōmata, all᾽ oude salla sōmata, mē akran echonta kai kat᾽ energeian tēn stoicheia, pantōn sōn ontōn tēn kata to mallon kai hētton poiotēta kektēmenōn, kai ou dynchōmenōn amōirithēnai “toia “poiōn esti stoichoik. anankē toiōn einai to stoicheion kai sō-, ma, kai haploun sōma, kai kat᾽ energeian echin akras tas poio- | sētas, logō den theraotēta, psychrotēta, hygrotēta kai xerotauta. hautai gar menai sōn poiotētōn holēn d᾽ holou mstathal-. lousi tēn ousian᾽ tōn de allōn poiotētōn oude mia touto drǭ. oute gar to leukon, plēsiazon sōmati leukainei auto diolou, ō heis to thermon thermadnei kai to » psychron psychei,houte de tōn an lōn ouden. enantia de allylois esti ta stoicheia, ta kata tas ouo poiotētas enantian hōs to hydōr tǭ pyri» psychron ho hon kai hygron, theraǭ onti kai xērǭ" kai hē gē tǭ aeri. psychra ousa kai xēra, tō thermǭ kai hygrǭ. epeidē de ta enantia synaptesthai kllēleis ou gounaton mē eeesou tinos desmou tetagmenou, tou yndeontos auta etaxen ho dēmiourgos en mesǭ men tēs gēs kai tou aeros» enantiōn ontōn? to hydōr, dous autǭ. dyo poiotētas» psychrotēta kai hygrotēta, kath' has ēdynato tois akrois synatpttomenon syndein auta. tǭ men gr psychrǭ. synoikeioutai tę̄. HyP tǭ de hygrǭ synaptetai tǭ phioris “palin meson: tou hydatos kai tou prros, enantiōn ontōn. kai autōn, etaxe ton aeran tę̄ men hygrǭ poiotēti oikeioumenon pǭ hydati, tę̄ de thermē tǭ pyri". kai houtō ta enantia synēpsen allēlois dei mesōn tonōn,, tōn syndeontōn kai rhauta kai sa i syndoumena,᾿ ho gar toioutos desmos ō hōristos estin hekaston oun autōn. kata men tēn heteran poiotēta synēpse tǭ pro autou, kata de tēn heteran, tǭ met᾽ auto" hoion' to hydōr Psychron esti kai hygron" alla katia men to psychron tē gę̄ synaptetai, housē pro autou kata tēn anodon" kata de to hygron, tǭ aeri, onti met᾽ auto. homoiōs kai ho ar kata men to hygron synaptetai tǭ hydati, pro autou onti" kata de to thermon, tǭ pyri, onti met᾽ hauton. kai to pyr de kata men pēn thermotēta synaptetai tǭ aeri, pro autou onti" mata de tēn xērotēta tę̄ KAI kat᾽ epiklasin kai epistrophēn tēn pros to akron᾽ houtō de kai kai gē kata men to psychron tǭ hydati" kata de to xēron tǭ pyri kat᾽ eprilasin. hina di gar mē monon tēn pros to anō kai to katō kathodon te kai anodon tēn schesin echę̄ ta stoicheis, alla kai tēn kata kpyēlon, epekampse pōs kai epestrepse ta akra pros allēla" legō de, to pyr kai tēn gēn" kai gar to pyr apobalon tēn thermotēta monēn, ginetai Hy7᾽ touto de dēlon ek tōn keraunōn᾽ katapheromenon gar to pyr kai psychomenon ek tēs hyperoptēseōs apolithoutai. dio pas keraunos meta lythou kai theiou Pheretai" esti de to theionn hōsper pyr ōpepsygmenon, ouk eti thermon kat᾽ energeian, alla dynamei, xēran den, kai energoioi. mona de ta stoicheia kat' energeian echei tos poiotētas" ta de alla panta» dyna- Mmein ean mē plēsiasę̄ stoicheiǭ. hina de mēdepote epiy eipē mēte ta stoicheich, mēte ta ex autōn sygirimatain sophōs ho dēmiourgos etechnasato, hōtte ta stoicheia kai eis allēla metaballesthai, kai eis ta synkrimata, kai palin ta synkrimata eis ta stoicheich analyesthai. kai houtōs ex allēlogonias diarkous synistamena sōzetai diapantos. gē men gar pēōtheisa ginetai hydōr hydōr dy pyknōththen kai pēlōthen ginetai g᾽ thermanthen de kai exatmisthen ginetai aēr᾽ ar de synachitheis men kai pyknōtheis ginetai hydōr" xērantheis de, eis pyr metaballetai" houtō «de kai to pyr, sbesthen men kai apobalen tēn xērotēta, exaeroutai. este gar auri, sbesis pyros kai atmis hydatos ᾿"thermanthentos. ex ompsphoterōn oun dēlon, hōs ek thermistētos hē hē genesis autǭ" kai goir thermanthon to hydōr, kai sbesthen to pyrn oēr genetai. estin oun kata men tēn oikeian Physin thermos" psychetai de tę̄ geitniaphei tę̄ pros to hydōr» kai tēn gēn" hōs ta men katō merē autou» ta pros tē gēn psychra einai" ta de anō. kai pros tǭ pyri, thermō. symbainei de touto diō to malakon kai eupathes tou aeros" tōcheōs gar existatai tēs oikeias Physeōs kai metaballetai. ᾿Aristotes lēs de dyo genē einai tou aeros zēsi" to men atmōdes, to ek tēs anathymiaseōs tou hydatos" to de kapnōdes, to ek tēs sbeseōs tou pyros" kai to men kapnōdes, thermon einai" po de atmōdes, entha men toktetai, thermen kai auto, proïon de kata meros psychesthai, kai prokopton exydatousthai. na de kai alla tina dokounta einai atopa ekdia- Phygē. kai pros toutois, to toi hypsēlotera kai poly tos hēēs aphestōta Psychrytera Phainesthai, dittēn hypetheto tēn hǭysin autou. panta de ta sōmata tēn genesin ek tēs synodou tōn tessarōn toutōn stoicheiōn echei, ta to tōn phytōn kai taatōn zōōn" tēs Physeōs ta katharōtata tōn stoicheiōn eis tēn genesin toutōn tōn sōmatōn helkousēs. kalei de tauta ta sōmata Aristotolēs Physikō" ou kata, o sōreian syntithemenōn autōn, all᾽ holōn de holou eis henōsin anakirnamenōn, kai hen ti kai allo par᾽ auta poiountōn to sōma" houtō gar hēnōtai, hōs mē hoion ta einai diakrinai auta" mēde idią men theasasthai tēn g»n» idia de to hydōr kai ton aera kai to pyr, tǭ en ti kai allo para tauta ek tēs synodou tōn tessarōn gegenēsthai, hōs epi tos tes armapou.. kai gar ekei allo hē tetrapharmakos para to ex hōn synkeitai, ouch, homoiōs mentoi. ou gar kata parathesin. tēn tōn leptomerestōtōn, hōs en tē tetrapharo makǭ, ta stoicheich poiei ta sōmata alla kata metabolēn kai henotēta. palin de eis ta stoicheia analyetai ta sōmata: phtheiromena " kai toutǭ tǭ tǭ tropǭ diamenei donekōs to panta, kai diarkei pros t» tōn ontōn genesin? mēte ᾿pleonazonta pote, mēte, meioumena" hothen kai tēn allou genesin, allou phthoran. einai hǭēsi, kai tēn allou phthoran, allou genesin, s ou monon kato tēn psychēn. hōs proeirētai» alla kai kata to sōōa. Platōni de dokein ta men tria stoicheia metaballein. eis allēlan tēn de YN ametablēton menein. apeikazōn gar hekastǭ stoicheiǭ ta stereōmata tōn euthygrammōn schēmatōn" tę̄. men gēn to kybikon schēma" epeidē akinētotaton tōn loētōn estin" hydati de, tōn loipōn to dyskinētotaton to eikosaedron" to de eukinētotaton, to pyramoeides, tǭ pyri" to de oktaedron, tǭ aerm' hēper estin eukinētoteron, men hydatos» dyskinētoteron de pyres" ek toutōn tōn schę̄ēmatōn poieitai tēn apodeixin tou tō men tria eis allēla metaballein" tēn de gēn touto mē paschein. tō men gar tria, tēn te pyramida kai to oktaedron kai to eikosaedron ek skalēnōn trigōnōn synistasthai" ton de kybon, ex isopleurōn trigōnōn. hosa toinyn ek. tōn skalēnōn synestē trigōnōn, tauta dynasthai dialyomena, kai palin synionta eis allēla metaballein" mēte de ton kybon dialythenta eis ti tōn allōn, triōn schēmatōn dynasthai metaballein. ex iropleurōn, gar trigōnōn synestēken, ex hōn ouden ᾿ tōn, allōn triōn systēnai dynatai" mēt᾽ au ti tōn triōn schēmōtōn eis kybon. anankē oun, kai ta eidopoiēthenta sōmata kata ta eidē tauta houtōs echein pros allēla, hōs ekeina eichen. ou mēn apathis esneinen hē 5, allix diaireitai hypo tōn leptomeresterōn sōmatōn anastoncheioumenē men, ou men n᾿ Hai kai metaballomenē, eis ta diairounta autēn. palin gar syniousa eis heautēn apokathistatai, hoper Phainetai en tǭ GI hydchti. ean gar eis hydōr gēn oligēn balōn taraxēs, dia-. “ ō lyetai eis hydōr kai g᾽ ean de pausē tarattōn, stasin ho aēr autēn, dialysę̄, ē ē en hydati, ho hotan hyph᾽ hydatos lythē, legei de kat᾽ allon tropon diairōn, he hekaston tōn stoicheiōn preis poiotētas echein" to men pyr. oxytēta, manotchta, kyēsin" to de heteron akron tōn stoicheiōn», toutesti tēn “ gdn. tas enantias tautais poiotētas» amblytēta, pypna.-.,. t tēta, stasin" hōs einai kōta tautas tas poiotētas enantia PsPh to pyr kai ton gēn, hoper ouk ēn kata tas allas tas en syō,giō poiotētas" eilēphthai de aph᾽ hekaterōn tōn akrōn tai ho adr eidopoious echōn treis monas poiotētas, amblytēta, manotēta, kinēsin. palin dyo lambanontai poiotētes tēs gēs». amblytēs kai pyknotēs" tou de pyros, mich monē hē kinēsis" kai ginetai to hydōr eidottoioumenon kai auto amblytēti, pyknotēti, kinēsei" estin oun hōs oxytēs pros amblytēta, houtō pyr pros aera" hōs de manotēs pros pyknotēta, houtōs ad pros hydōr' hōs de kinēsis pros stasin» houtōs hydōr pros gēn. hōs ara pyr pros aera, houtōs aēr pros hydōr᾽ kai hōs aēr pros hydōr, houtōs hydōr pros gēn. pephyke gar ta men epipeda hypo mias mesotētos synechesthai, toutestin, analogias" ta de sterea, hypo dyo mesotētōn. kat᾽ allon de tropon legousi poiotētas echein ta stoicheichl" tēn men gar gēn kai to hydōr, barytēta echein, kath' hēn katō Physei hǭPherontai᾽" ton de aera kai to pyr, kouphotēta, kath' hēn anō Physei Pherontai. legousi de hoi stōïkoi, tōn stoicheiōn ta men einai drastika, ta de pathētika" drastika men, aera kai pyr᾽ pathētika de, gēn kai hydōr, ᾿Aristotelēs de kai pempton eisōgei sōma, to aitherion kai kyklophorikon, mē boulomenos ton ouranon ek tōn tessarōn stoicheiōn gegenēsthai" kyklozphorikon de legei ta pempton sōma, hoti en kyklǭ peri tēn gēn Pheretai" tou Platōnos diarrydēn phaskontos, ek pyros kai gēs auton synestanai. legei de houtōs" ysōmatoeides kai "horaton, hapton te dei to genomenon einai, chōris de pyros o»dyden hōn potth horaton. genoito. oude hōpton aneu tinos stos reou" stereon den ouk. aneu gēs" hothen ek pyros kai gēs »»to tou? pantos synestanai sōma ho Theos archomenos epoiei, »»thyo de mona kalōs synistasthai tritou chōris, ou dynaton" ᾿ peumon gar en mesǭ -dei amǭoïn synagōgon ginesthai" »thesmōn de kallistos, hos an heauton te kai ta xyndoumena »hin poēe hoti malista" touto de pephyken analogia kallista apotelein" desmon legōn, ta mesa dyo stoicheia ex analogias eilēmmena tēs prorrhētheisēs. hoi de to tōn Hebraiōn presbeuontes diapherontai peri tou ouranou kai tēs Hy2. hoi men gar alloi schedon pantes. ex oudemias proupokeimenēs hylēs Phaskousi gegenēsthai ton ouranon kai tēn gēn» epeidē. Mōysēs hǭēsin" en archē epoiēsen ho theos ton ouranon kai sēn gēn" ᾿Apolinarios de ek tēs abyssou pepoiēkenai ton Theon ton ouranon kai tēn gēn bouletai" tēs gar abyssou Mōyysēēs ouk emnēmoneusen en tę̄ genesei tou kosmou, hōs genomenēs en de tǭ Iōb eirētai" ho poiēsas tēn abysson" ek tautēs. oun,. hōs ex hylēs, bouletai ta alla panta genēsthai" ou mēn ōgenēton » oillii genētēn autēn einai, pro pantōn tōn sōmatikōn prokatabeiblēmenēn hypo tou dgmmn ourgou pros tēn tōn allōn hypostasin". dēloi de kai tounoma tēs aithy byssou to tēs hylēs apeiron. alla touto men, hopōs ha an echon ouden dichpherei. nai houtō gar, pantōn: d theos theos kai dēmiourgos deunnytai, kai ex ouk ontōn pe- gą “poiēkōs ta panta. pros de tous en menon. legontas einai «toicheion, ē to oi ē ton aerang hē to hydōr, ōrkesei ta … »pote an ēlgeen" oude HaS an ēn, hyph᾽ hou algēseien», hen rōn" ei de kai ēlgeen, hen hōn hēn to iōmenon. dei gar to »mellon algein» en metabolē genesthai met᾽ aisthēseōs " »ei de hen monon Ēn to stoicheion, ouk hēn, eis ho »»theiē" mē trepomenon de, alla menon eph᾽ heautou, ouk an nēlgēsenn ei kai aisthēton hēn" ᾿ anankē de kai to paschon »houpo trios paschein" ei de monon ha hen hēn to stoicheion, ouk »ēn an hetera poiotēs para tēn tou henos stoncheiou, hyph᾽ »hēēs epathen an to zōon" ei de mēte metablēthēnai, myta y tathein ēdynato, pōs an ēlēēse?" deixas oun touto adynaton, kata synchōrēsin epagei" ei de kai ēlgeen» hen hōn In to iōmenon" gyn de ouk estin hen to iōmenon, ᾿alli polla" ouk ara hen ēn ho anthrōpos. alla kai» ex hōn autoi peis rōntai to idion hekastos kataskeuazein dogma, ek toutōn malista deienytai tessara onta ta stoicheich. kai ger Thalēs to hydōr bonen lygōn einai stoicheion, peiratai deiinyein talla tria hypo toutou ginomena. tēn men gon hypostathmēn autou gēn ginesthai" to de leptomeresteron aera" tou de aeros to leptomeresteron pyr. ᾿Anaximenēs de eiera monon legōn» kai autos homoiōs peiratai deiknynai, ta alla stoicheia ek tou aeros apoteloumena" Hērakleitos de kai Hippasos, ho meutatontimotǭ to to legontes, tais᾽ autais spantais eipodeixesi kechrēntai. ex hōn toinyn kai houtai phasi, to pyr einchi tōn allōn stoicheiōn gennētikon, kai tōn allōn ho men, to d hydōr, ho den ton aiphras ek toutōn deipoutoie, hoti pagta ta stoicheia eis allēla metaballetai" pantōn de eis allēla trepomenōn» anankē, ta panta stoi eia einai. hoper gar an labēs tōn tessarōn, eurethēn setai kai touto hyph᾽ heterou ginomenon. to de sōma tēs psy- «ēs organon hyparchon, tais psychikais dynamesi syndiaireitai. tautais gar pros sron te kai epitēdeion kateskeuastai, pros to «mēdemian. apas dynamin hypo tou sōmatos empothizesthai. hekastē gar Pspsychriē dysimei pres tēn energeian idia merē tou sōmatos apokeklerōtai, hōs proïōn ho logos apodeixei. hē men gar psychē taxin epechei technitou". to de sōma organou" hylē de esti, peri ha hē praxis" to de apopelesma, kai praxis autē, (hoion, hōs hylē men hypokeitai hē gynē" peri tautan gar hē prōxis" hē de praxis, moicheia d sorneia.. k᾽ gamos.) dichirountai de hai psychikai dynameis heis te to (antastikon kai dianoētikon kai mnēmoneutikon. “"
An element of the world is the smallest part of the compound of bodies. … [An element differs from a principle, for] an element is of the same kind as the things of which it is an element; a principle is not of the same kind as what comes from it, but an element is always of the same kind. That earth, water, air and fire are the elements is clear; for in them the qualities appear in their extreme form, both in potentiality and in actuality. Yet none of the perceptible forms of these elements is unmixed and free of admixture with another element; all of them are in some way adulterated and have received some share of one another, more or less; but even in the mixture their nature is evident. Each of the elements has two qualities in combination which give it its form. Earth is dry and cold; water cold and moist; air moist and hot by its own nature; fire hot and dry. The qualities by themselves cannot be elements, for bodies cannot be composed of bodiless qualities; nor can other bodies be elements that do not have the qualities in their extreme and actual form, since all things that exist have quality in greater or less degree and cannot be counted as elements of anything. So the element must be a body, and a simple body, having the qualities in their extreme form and in actuality, I mean heat, cold, moisture and dryness. For these alone of the qualities change the substance wholly through and through; none of the other qualities does this. White does not whiten a body through and through when it comes near it, as the hot heats and the cold cools; nor does any of the others.
Elements are contrary to one another when they are contrary in both qualities: water to fire, being cold and moist against the hot and dry; earth to air, being cold and dry against the hot and moist. Since contraries cannot be joined to one another unless some middle bond is placed between them to bind them, the Creator set water in the middle between earth and air, which are contraries, giving it two qualities, coldness and moisture, by which, joining the extremes, it could bind them together: by its coldness it is akin to earth, by its moisture it is joined to air. Again, between water and fire, which are also contraries, he set air, akin to water by the moist quality and to fire by heat. So he joined the contraries to one another through the middle terms, which bind both themselves and the things bound; for such a bond is the best. He joined each of them, then, by one quality to the element before it and by the other to the one after it. For example, water is cold and moist: by its coldness it is joined to earth, which comes before it in the ascent, and by its moisture to air, which comes after it. Likewise air is joined by its moisture to water, which comes before it, and by its heat to fire, which comes after it. And fire is joined by its heat to air, which comes before it, and by its dryness to earth, by a bending back and return toward the extreme; and so earth too is joined by its coldness to water and by its dryness to fire by a bending back. For so that the elements might be related not only by descent and ascent, upward and downward, but also in a circle, he bent and turned the extremes, I mean fire and earth, toward each other in some way. For fire, losing only its heat, becomes earth. This is clear from thunderbolts: fire falling downward and being cooled from its over-heating turns to stone; therefore every thunderbolt comes with stone and sulphur. Sulphur is a kind of cooled fire, no longer hot in actuality but in potentiality, while dry in actuality too. The elements alone have their qualities in actuality; all other things in potentiality, unless they come near an element. So that neither the elements nor the compounds made from them should ever fail, the Creator wisely contrived that the elements change into one another and into the compounds, and that the compounds are resolved again into the elements; and so, composed by continual generation from one another, they are preserved for ever. Earth made into mud becomes water; water thickened and turned to mud becomes earth, and heated and evaporated becomes air; air gathered and thickened becomes water, and dried changes into fire; so too fire, extinguished and losing its dryness, becomes air. For air is the extinguishing of fire and the vapour of heated water. From both it is clear that air comes into being from heat; for both water when heated and fire when extinguished become air. By its own nature, then, air is hot, but it is cooled by its nearness to water and earth, so that its lower parts, near the earth, are cold, and its upper parts, near fire, hot. This happens because of the softness and impressionability of air, for it quickly departs from its own nature and changes. Aristotle says there are two kinds of air: one vaporous, from the exhalation of water; the other smoky, from the extinguishing of fire; the smoky is hot, and the vaporous is hot where it is produced but gradually cools as it advances, and as it goes on turns to water. To escape certain other apparent absurdities, and in particular that the higher regions, far removed from the earth, appear colder, he supposed its nature to be twofold.
All bodies, both of plants and of animals, have their origin from the coming together of these four elements, nature drawing the purest of the elements into the generation of these bodies. Aristotle calls these bodies natural, since they are not put together by heaping but mixed wholly through and through into a unity, and make the body something one and other than themselves. For they are so united that they cannot be distinguished, nor can one see earth by itself, and water, air and fire by themselves, because something one and other than these has come to be from the coming together of the four, as with the fourfold drug; for there too the fourfold drug is something other than the things it is composed of, though not in the same way. For the elements do not make bodies by juxtaposition of the finest particles, as in the fourfold drug, but by change and unity. And again, when bodies perish, they are resolved into the elements; and in this way the universe endures continually and suffices for the generation of beings, neither ever increasing nor diminishing. Hence he says that the generation of one thing is the destruction of another, and the destruction of one the generation of another, not only as regards the soul, as was said before, but also as regards the body.
Plato holds that three of the elements change into one another, but that earth remains unchangeable. He likens the solids of the rectilinear figures to each element: to earth the cube, since it is the least mobile of the rest; to water, the least mobile of the remainder, the icosahedron; the most mobile, the pyramid, to fire; the octahedron to air, since it is more mobile than water but less mobile than fire. From these figures he proves that the three change into one another but earth does not suffer this. For the three, the pyramid, the octahedron and the icosahedron, are composed of scalene triangles, but the cube of equal-sided triangles. Whatever is composed of scalene triangles can be dissolved and, coming together again, change into one another; but the cube when dissolved cannot change into any of the other three figures, since it is composed of equal-sided triangles, from which none of the other three can be composed; nor again can any of the three figures change into a cube. So the bodies given form according to these figures must stand toward one another as those figures do. Yet earth did not remain unaffected; it is divided by the finer bodies, broken into its elements but not changed into the things that divide it; for it comes together into itself again and is restored, as appears in water. If you throw a little earth into water and stir it, it is dissolved into water and earth; but if you stop stirring, the earth settles … [whether] air dissolves it, or it is in water, when it is dissolved by water. He also divides in another way, saying that each element has three qualities: fire, sharpness, rarity, and motion; the other extreme of the elements, that is earth, the contrary qualities, bluntness, density, and rest; so that by these qualities fire and earth are contraries, which they were not by the other qualities taken in pairs. Air is formed by taking from each extreme, having only three formative qualities, bluntness, rarity, and motion. Again, two qualities of earth are taken, bluntness and density, and of fire one only, motion; and water is formed, given its form by bluntness, density, and motion. As sharpness is to bluntness, so is fire to air; as rarity to density, so air to water; as motion to rest, so water to earth. As fire, then, is to air, so is air to water; and as air to water, so water to earth. For planes are naturally held together by one mean, that is, by a proportion, and solids by two means.
In another way they say the elements have qualities: earth and water have heaviness, by which they move downward by nature; air and fire lightness, by which they move upward by nature. The Stoics say that some of the elements are active and some passive: air and fire active, earth and water passive. Aristotle introduces a fifth body too, the ethereal and circular, not wishing heaven to have come from the four elements; he calls the fifth body circular because it moves in a circle around the earth. Plato, on the contrary, says expressly that heaven is composed of fire and earth. He speaks thus: “What has come to be must be bodily, visible, and tangible; but without fire nothing could ever be visible, nor tangible without something solid, nor solid without earth. Hence, beginning to construct the body of the universe, God made it of fire and earth. But two things alone cannot be well joined without a third; there must be some bond between them to bring them together. And the finest of bonds is the one that makes itself and the things it binds as fully one as possible; and proportion is by nature best able to accomplish this.” By “bond” he means the two middle elements taken according to the proportion described above.
Those who hold to the teaching of the Hebrews disagree about heaven and earth. Nearly all the others say that heaven and earth came to be from no pre-existing matter, since Moses says, “In the beginning God made the heaven and the earth.” But Apollinarius holds that God made heaven and earth from the abyss; for Moses did not mention the abyss as having come into being in the making of the world, but in Job it is said, “who made the abyss.” From this, then, as from matter, he holds that all other things came to be; not that it is uncreated, but created, laid down beforehand by the Creator before all bodily things for the existence of the rest. The very name “abyss” shows the boundlessness of matter. But however this may be, it makes no difference; for in this way too God is shown to be the God and Creator of all, having made all things from what is not. Against those who say there is one element only, earth, or air, or water, what [Hippocrates] says will suffice: … “… he would never have felt pain; nor would there have been anything by which, being one, he could feel pain; and even if he felt pain, the cure too would be one. For what is to feel pain must undergo a change with sensation. If there were only one element, there would be nothing into which it could change; and not changing, but remaining by itself, it would not feel pain, even if it were sensitive. What suffers must also suffer by something; but if the element were one only, there would be no quality besides that of the one element by which the creature could suffer. If it could neither change nor suffer, how could it feel pain?” Having shown that this is impossible, he adds by way of concession: “And even if he felt pain, the cure would be one.” But in fact the cure is not one but many; therefore man was not one. And from the very arguments by which each of them tries to establish his own doctrine it is shown most clearly that the elements are four. Thales, saying that water alone is the element, tries to show that the other three come from it: its sediment becomes earth, its finer part air, and the finer part of air fire. Anaximenes, saying air alone, likewise tries to show that the other elements are produced from air. Heraclitus and Hippasus of Metapontum, saying fire, use the same proofs. From the very arguments by which these men say that fire is the generator of the other elements, and the others, one water, the other air, they show that all the elements change into one another; and since all change into one another, all must be elements; for whichever of the four you take, it too will be found to come from another.
The body, being the soul's instrument, is divided along with the soul's powers; for it has been constructed to fit and suit them, so that none of them is hindered by the body. For to each power of the soul particular parts of the body have been allotted for its activity, as the argument will show as it proceeds. The soul holds the rank of a craftsman, the body that of an instrument; the matter is that with which the action is concerned; and the result is the action itself (for example, a woman is the subject matter, for the action concerns her; the action is adultery, or sexual immorality, or marriage). The powers of the soul are divided into imagination, thought, and memory.
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
Gen 1:1 (quotation, high confidence) · Job 38:16 (echo, low confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Nemesius defines the four elements and their paired qualities, shows how they are bound by intermediate elements and change into one another, reviews Aristotle, Plato, the Stoics and Apollinarius on the elements, cites Hippocrates against a single element, and turns to the body as the soul's instrument.
- Two blocks of Matthaei's apparatus and Latin notes have been removed. The second also swallowed the opening of the Hippocrates quotation (Nature of Man 2): the gap is marked “…” and the source is supplied in square brackets by sense; the first sentence after the definition is also damaged and is given by sense.
- Plato, Tim. 31b–32c (the bond of proportion; quoted) and 53c–57c (the regular solids). Aristotle on the fifth body: De caelo 1.2–3; on two kinds of exhalation: Meteor. 1.4; on generation and destruction: Gen. corr. 1.3. The fourfold drug (τετραφάρμακον) was a common salve.
- Apollinarius's view that heaven and earth were made from the abyss is known only from this passage. “Who made the abyss”: no such phrase stands in Job; cf. Job 38:16, 30 and Ps 104:6 (LXX 103:6).
- The example of a woman as the subject matter and adultery, sexual immorality, or marriage as the action is a stock illustration of matter and act; translated as written.
Notes on the original text
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Extrabiblical texts: Plato, Tim. 31b–32c (Plato (works); quotation); Aristotle (Aristotle (works); allusion); Hippocrates, Nat. hom. 2 (Hippocrates, Hippocratic Corpus; quotation)
Cite (SBL): Nemesius, Nat. hom. 5 (Matthaei, 150-171; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nemesius-natura-hominis/5). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nemesius-natura-hominis/5
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of a re-OCR of the printed edition (corrections logged). No public-domain English translation was available, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 6
6Matthaei, 171-178
(ὃ... μὲν οὖν ἐστι δύναμις τὴς ἀλόγου ψυχὴς διὰ … Φάντασμα δὲ πάθος διάκενον ἐν τοῖς ἀλόγοις τὺς ψυχῆς μέρεσιν π᾿ οὐδενὲς (ανταστοῦ γινόμενον. οἱ δὲ στωϊκοὶ τέσσαρα ταῦτά ᾧασι, (αντασίαν, Φανταστὸν, ᾧανταστικὸν, Φάντασμα' (αντασίαν μὲν λέγοντες, τὸ παάθος τῆς ψυχῆς τὸ ἐνδεικνύμενον αὐτὸ τὸ καὶ τὸ πεποιηκὸς Φαντωστόν. ὅταν γὰρ λευκὸν ἴδωμεν, ἐγγίνεταί τι πάθος τῇ ψυχῇ ἐκ τῆς λήψεως αὐτοῦ. ὡς γαρ ἐν τοῖς αἰσθητηρίοις ἐγγίνεται πάθος, ὅταν αἰσθάνηται" οὕτω καὶ ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ, ὅταν ἐννοήση. εἰκόνα γὰρ ἐν ἑαυτῇ δέχεται τοῦ νοητοῦ. Φανταστὸν δὲ " τὸ πεποιηκὸς τὴν Φαντασίαν αἰσθητὸν, οἷον τὸ λευκὸν καὶ πᾶν διτι δύνωται κινεῖν τὴν ψυχήν". ᾧανταστικὸν δὲ, τὸν διάκενον διελκυσμὸν ἄνευ Φανταστοῦ" αν», τασμα δὲ, ᾧ ἐφελκόμεθα κατα τὸν Φανταστικὸν διάκενον ἑλκυσμὸν, ὡς ἐπὶ τῶν μεμνηνότων καὶ μελαγχρλώντων. ἡ δὲ διαφωνία. τούτοις περὶ τὴν ἐναλλαγὴν μένην γέγονε τῶν ὀνομάτων. ὄργανα δὲ αὐτοῦ αἱ πρόσθιοι τοῦ ἐγκεφάλου κοῆίαι, καὶ τὸ ἐν αὐταῖς ψυχριὸν πνεῦμα, καὶ τὰ ἐξ αὐτῶν νεῦρα, τὰ διάβροχα τῷ ψυχικῷ πνεύματι, καὶ καὶ κατασκενὴ “ὧν αἰσθητηρίων. ἔστι δὲ ἀἰοθητήρια μὲν “πέντε αἴσθησις δὲ μία, ἡ ψυχικὴν ἡ γνωρίζουσα διὰ τῶν αἰσθ θητηρίων τὰ ἐν αὐτοὶς γνόμενα παθη" καὶ τῷ μὲν γεωδεστάτῳ καὶ σωματριωτάτῳ τῶν αἰσθητηρίων, ἕπερ ἐστὴν καὶ ἁφὴ, τῆς γεώδους Φύσεως αἰσθάνεται" τῷ δὲ αὐγοειδεστάτῳ, ὃ ὁπέρ ἐστιν ἡ ὄψις, τῶν αὐγοειδῶν᾽ ὡς καὶ τῷ ἰὠεροειδεῖ τῶν τοῦ ἀέρος παθημοίτων" αὴρ γάρ. ἐστιν ἡ τὴς (ωνῆς οὐσίκ ἢ οἰέρος πληγή" ᾿ καὶ τῷ σπογγοειδεῖ δὲ καὶ ὑδατοειδεῖ. τῷ κατὰ τὴν γεῦσιν. τῶν χυμῶν ἀντελαμίβάνεται. ἕκαστον γὰρ τῶν αἰσθητῶν διὰ τοῦ οἰκείου ἡνωρίεσθαι πέφυκεν. ἔδει τοίνυν κατοὶ τοῦτον τὸν λόγον, ἐπειδὴ τέσσαρα στοιχεῖα, τέσσαρας εἶναι καὶ τὰς αἰσθύσεις ". ἀλλ᾽ ἐπειδήπερ, ὁ αἀτμὸς. καὶ τὸ τῶν ἐσυῶν γένος μεταξὺ τὴν ᾧύσιν ἐστὶν ἀέρος καὶ ὕδατος" ἀέρος μὲν γάρ ἐστι παχυμερέστερος, ὕδατος δὸ λεπτομερέστερος " ὄχλον δὲ γίνδται τὸ τοιοῦτον. διὰ τῆς μο-. ρύζης. τοῦ πάθους" οἱ κορυζῶντες ἕλκουσι μὲν τὸν ἰέρα διὰ τὴς οὠνχπνοὴς " ἕλκοντες ᾿δὲ σοῦτον, τῶν ἀτμῶν οὑκ ἐντιλαμβάνονται " διὼ γὰρ τὴν ἔμφραξιν τὸ παχυμερέστερον οὐκ αζφοινεῖται πρὸς τὴν αἴσθησιν᾽ τούτου χάριν πέμπτον αἰσθητήριον. ὶ ὀσῷρησις, ὑπὸ τῆς ζύσεως ἐξεύρητω, ἔχ μηδὲν τῶν δυναμένων εἰς γνῶσιν ἔχθεῖν διχφυγη τὴν αἰσθησιν. ἔστι δὲ καὶ αἰασθησις οὐκ ἀλλοίωσις, ἀλλὰ διάγνωσις ἀλλοιώσεως. ἀλλοιοῦται μὲν γὰρ τὰ αἰσθητήριαι, διακρίνει δὲ τὴν ἀλλοίωσιν ἡ αἴσθησις. καλεῖται δὲ πολλάκις. αἰσθησις καὶ τὰ αἰσθητήρια. ἔστι δὲ αἰσθησις, ἀντίληψις τῶν αἰσθητῶν. δοκοῖ δὲ. οὗτος ὁ ὄρος οὐκ αὐτῆς εἶναι τῆς αἰσθήσεως, ἀλλα τῶν ἔργων αὐτῆς. διὸ καὶ οὕτως ὁρίζονται τὴν αἴσθησιν» πνεῦμα νοερὸν απὸ τοῦ ἡγεμονικοῦ ἐπὶ τὰ ὄργανα τπεταμένον. ἔτι δὲ καὶ οὕτω. δύναμιν ψυχῆς ἀντίληττικὴν τῶν αἰσθητῶν" αἰσθητήριον δὲ, ἃ ὄργανον τῆς ἀντήψεως τῶν αἰσθητῶν. Πλάτων δὲ τὴν αἴσθησιν λέγει, ψυχῇς καὶ, σώματος κοινωνίαν πρὸς τὰ ἐκτύς. ἡ γὰρ δύναμις, ψυχῆς" γ ΡῚ Γ Η͂, τὸ δὲ ὄργανον, σώματος" ἀμῴω δὲ διὰ ζαντασίας ἀντι- ΕἼ “ῸὦὋ ληπτικὰὶ τῶν ἔξωθεν. τῶν δὲ ψυχικῶν τὰ μέν ἐστιν ὑπουργικά τὲ καὶ δορυφορικά" τὰ δὲ ἀρχικὼ καὶ ἡγεμονικά. ἀρχικὼ μὲν,» τόχτε διανοητικὸν καὶ ἐπιστημονικόν" ὑπουρ-. « γκὰ δὲν τὰ αἰσθητικὰ καὶ ἡ καθ' ὁριὴν κύησις καὶ τὸ ᾿ ΙΕ] (ᾧωνητικόν. καὶ ηἱρ καὶ κύησις καὶ καὶ Φωνὴ ὀξύτατα καὶ ὍὩ. υ σχεδὸν ἀχρόνως ὑπακούει τῇ βουλήσει τοῦ λογισμοῦ" ἅμα γαὶρ καὶ κατὸ τὸ αὐτὸ θέλομέν τε καὶ κινούμεθα οὐδενὸς ΝΝΝ ᾽ ἐπιδεόμενοι μεταξὺ χρόνου τὴς τε βουλήσεως καὶ τῆς κινήσεως, ὡς ἐπὶ τῆς κινάσεως τῶν δακτύλων ἐστὶν ἰδεῖν" καὶ στῶν Φυσικῶν δὲ ἔνια ὑπὸ τὴν ἐγεμονίαν ἐστὶ τοῦ διανοητικοῦ, ὡς τὰ καλούμενα πάθη.
(ho... men oun esti dynamis tēs alogou psychēs dia … Phantasma de pathos diakenon en tois alogois tys psychēs meresin p᾿ oudenes (antastou ginomenon. hoi de stōïkoi tessara tauta hǭasi, (antasian, Phantaston, hǭantastikon, Phantasma' (antasian men legontes, to paathos tēs psychēs to endeiknymenon auto to kai to pepoiēkos Phantōston. hotan gar leukon idōmen, enginetai ti pathos tę̄ psychę̄ ek tēs lēpseōs autou. hōs gar en tois aisthētēriois enginetai pathos, hotan aisthanētai" houtō kai en tę̄ psychę̄, hotan ennoēsē. eikona gar en heautę̄ dechetai tou noētou. Phantaston de " to pepoiēkos tēn Phantasian aisthēton, hoion to leukon kai pan diti dynōtai kinein tēn psychēn". hǭantastikon de, ton diakenon dielkysmon aneu Phantastou" an», tasma de, hǭ ephelkometha kata ton Phantastikon diakenon helkysmon, hōs epi tōn memnēnotōn kai melanchrlōntōn. hē de diaphōnia. toutois peri tēn enallagēn menēn gegone tōn onomatōn. organa de autou hai prosthioi tou enkephalou koēiai, kai to en autais psychrion pneuma, kai ta ex autōn neura, ta diabrocha tǭ psychikǭ pneumati, kai kai kataskenē “hōn aisthētēriōn. esti de aiothētēria men “pente aisthēsis de mia, hē psychikēn hē gnōrizousa dia tōn aisth thētēriōn ta en autois gnomena pathē" kai tǭ men geōdestatǭ kai sōmatriōtatǭ tōn aisthētēriōn, heper estēn kai haphē, tēs geōdous Physeōs aisthanetai" tǭ de augoeidestatǭ, ho hoper estin hē opsis, tōn augoeidōn᾽ hōs kai tǭ iōeroeidei tōn tou aeros pathēmoitōn" aēr gar. estin hē tēs (ōnēs ousik ē oieros plēgē" ᾿ kai tǭ spongoeidei de kai hydatoeidei. tǭ kata tēn geusin. tōn chymōn antelamibanetai. hekaston gar tōn aisthētōn dia tou oikeiou hēnōriesthai pephyken. edei toinyn katoi touton ton logon, epeidē tessara stoicheia, tessaras einai kai tas aisthyseis ". all᾽ epeidēper, ho aatmos. kai to tōn esyōn genos metaxy tēn hǭysin estin aeros kai hydatos" aeros men gar esti pachymeresteros, hydatos do leptomeresteros " ochlon de gindtai to toiouton. dia tēs mo-. ryzēs. tou pathous" hoi koryzōntes helkousi men ton iera dia tēs oōnchpnoēs " helkontes ᾿de souton, tōn atmōn houk entilambanontai " diō gar tēn emphraxin to pachymeresteron ouk azphoineitai pros tēn aisthēsin᾽ toutou charin pempton aisthētērion. i osǭrēsis, hypo tēs zyseōs exeurētō, ech mēden tōn dynamenōn eis gnōsin echthein dichphygē tēn aisthēsin. esti de kai aiasthēsis ouk alloiōsis, alla diagnōsis alloiōseōs. alloioutai men gar ta aisthētēriai, diakrinei de tēn alloiōsin hē aisthēsis. kaleitai de pollakis. aisthēsis kai ta aisthētēria. esti de aisthēsis, antilēpsis tōn aisthētōn. dokoi de. houtos ho oros ouk autēs einai tēs aisthēseōs, alla tōn ergōn autēs. dio kai houtōs horizontai tēn aisthēsin» pneuma noeron apo tou hēgemonikou epi ta organa tpetamenon. eti de kai houtō. dynamin psychēs antilēttikēn tōn aisthētōn" aisthētērion de, ha organon tēs antēpseōs tōn aisthētōn. Platōn de tēn aisthēsin legei, psychę̄s kai, sōmatos koinōnian pros ta ektys. hē gar dynamis, psychēs" g RI G Ē, to de organon, sōmatos" amǭō de dia zantasias anti- EI “OōO lēptikai tōn exōthen. tōn de psychikōn ta men estin hypourgika te kai doryphorika" ta de archikō kai hēgemonika. archikō men,» tochte dianoētikon kai epistēmonikon" hypour-. « nka den ta aisthētika kai hē kath' horiēn kyēsis kai to ᾿ IE] (hǭōnētikon. kai hēir kai kyēsis kai kai Phōnē oxytata kai HoŌ. y schedon achronōs hypakouei tę̄ boulēsei tou logismou" hama gair kai kato to auto thelomen te kai kinoumetha oudenos NNN ᾽ epideomenoi metaxy chronou tēs te boulēseōs kai tēs kinēseōs, hōs epi tēs kinaseōs tōn daktylōn estin idein" kai stōn Physikōn de enia hypo tēn egemonian esti tou dianoētikou, hōs ta kaloumena pathē.
[Imagination], then, is a power of the irrational soul, [working] through … A phantasm is an empty affection in the irrational parts of the soul, arising from nothing that is imagined. The Stoics speak of four things: imagination (or presentation), the presented, the imaginative, and the phantasm. They call presentation the affection of the soul that shows both itself and what produced it, the presented object. When we see something white, an affection arises in the soul from the reception of it; for as an affection arises in the sense organs when they perceive, so too in the soul when it understands, for it receives in itself an image of the object understood. The presented is the perceptible thing that produced the presentation, such as the white and everything that can move the soul. The imaginative is the empty attraction without anything presented. The phantasm is that by which we are drawn in the imaginative empty attraction, as with the mad and the melancholic. Their disagreement here lies only in the exchange of names. The organs of imagination are the front ventricles of the brain, the psychic breath in them, the nerves that issue from them, soaked in the psychic breath, and the structure of the sense organs.
There are five sense organs, but one sense, the psychic one, which by means of the sense organs recognizes the affections arising in them. By the earthiest and most bodily of the organs, which is touch, it perceives earthy nature; by the most luminous, which is sight, luminous things; so by the airy one it perceives the affections of the air, for the substance of sound is air, or a stroke of air; and by the spongy and watery one, that of taste, it apprehends flavours. For each perceptible thing is naturally known by what is akin to it. On this reasoning, since the elements are four, the senses should be four as well. But since vapour and the class of odours are midway in nature between air and water (being coarser than air and finer than water, as becomes plain from the affection of a cold in the head: people with a cold draw in air by breathing, but drawing it in they do not perceive odours, because the blockage keeps the coarser element from reaching sensation), for this reason nature devised a fifth sense organ, smell, so that nothing that can come to be known should escape sensation.
Sensation is not alteration but the discernment of alteration. The sense organs are altered, and sensation discerns the alteration. The sense organs too are often called senses. Sensation is the apprehension of perceptible things; but this definition seems to be not of sensation itself but of its works. Therefore they also define sensation thus: an intellectual breath stretched from the ruling part to the organs; and again thus: a power of the soul that apprehends perceptible things; and the sense organ as the instrument of the apprehension of perceptible things. Plato calls sensation a partnership of soul and body toward external things; for the power belongs to the soul, the instrument to the body, and both together, through imagination, apprehend external things.
Of the soul's powers, some are serving and attendant, others ruling and governing. The ruling are thought and knowledge; the serving are the senses, movement by impulse, and the power of speech. Impulse, movement and voice obey the will of reason most quickly and almost without lapse of time; for we will and move at the same time and moment, needing no time between the willing and the movement, as can be seen in the movement of the fingers. And some of the natural functions too are under the governance of thought, such as the so-called passions.
Notes and citation
Summary: Nemesius defines imagination and the Stoic terms for presentation, places its organs in the brain, explains the five senses by their affinity to the elements, defines sensation, and divides the soul's powers into ruling and serving.
- The opening line is damaged in the OCR; the first sentence is given by sense and the lost words are marked “…”.
- The Stoic distinction of φαντασία, φανταστόν, φανταστικόν and φάντασμα follows Chrysippus (cf. Aetius, Plac. 4.12). Plato on sensation: cf. Tim. 43c, 64a–c.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (line number of the printed page; words lost in the OCR; stray marks, numerals or sigla of the printed page left in the OCR text): διὰ η6 Φάντασμα → διὰ … Φάντασμα; ὔ., ε ᾿ ͵ Ὡ → ; Ε2 “ὦ, “Ὁ ᾿] " → ; ᾿ Ε] ᾿ ε, [], “Ὃ → .
Extrabiblical texts: Chrysippus (Chrysippus; allusion); Plato (Plato (works); allusion)
Cite (SBL): Nemesius, Nat. hom. 6 (Matthaei, 171-178; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nemesius-natura-hominis/6). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/nemesius-natura-hominis/6
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of a re-OCR of the printed edition (corrections logged). No public-domain English translation was available, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.